


Not Slowly, Still Surely

by diagonfloo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-25
Updated: 2014-01-25
Packaged: 2018-01-09 23:38:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1152192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diagonfloo/pseuds/diagonfloo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Confidant, Draco is an important part of his best friend Pansy's wedding to George Weasley. Unfortunately, she neglected to mention that none other than Harry Potter will be standing up for George as his Confidant. Will they be able to "play nice" for their friends?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Slowly, Still Surely

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, I'll start posting my older stories on this site. Thanks for the Kudo's :)  
> This story was first published as part of Smoochfest 2012 on LJ. Looking forward to the 2014 edition!

**Chapter 1 The Aequalis Bond**

‘What the fuck is _he_ doing here,’ Draco hissed, his voice low and tinted with more than a little bit of frost.

He turned his head and shot an accusing glare Pansy’s way, but his best friend didn’t look intimidated in the slightest. Instead, her eyes were full of wicked amusement, her eyebrow raised in silent mockery.

‘Come now Draco dearest’, Pansy replied sweetly. ‘I thought you and my lovely fiancé had made your peace ages ago. In fact, I was under the distinct impression that you’d become rather fond of him?’

‘Oh ha bloody ha Pans. I’m not talking about the crazy ginger twat as I’m sure you’re perfectly aware.  I’m talking about the twat walking next to him, The Boy-Who-Lived-To-Ruin-My-Life or whatever they’re calling him these days,’ Draco sneered, not taking his eyes off the two men making their way through the bustling Wizarding restaurant.

_Damn_ , Draco thought, _is nowhere sacred? Can I not be spared the presence of the insufferable Harry Potter, not  even in my own favourite restaurant?_

Draco braced himself as the two men rapidly approached their table. He stood up to welcome them, successfully resisting the urge to smooth down his already perfectly crease-free robes. Potter always did manage to rattle him a little, make him doubt himself where not many others could. _Most annoying_ , Draco thought, not for the first time.

‘Hello gorgeous,’ George Weasley called out, pulling his wife-to-be up by her hand.

Pansy laughed, the sound of it light and free, while she let herself be enveloped in a somewhat overexuberant hug. That laugh and the look Pansy got in her eyes whenever she spoke about George Weasley, were what had convinced Draco that the man made a good match for his best friend after all. And well, the added bonus of a hugely successful business didn’t exactly hurt, did it. Silly as the Weasley joke shops may be, the heaps of Galleons they brought in every month were no laughing matter.

George didn’t look ready to let go of his fiancée any time soon. They kissed, the two lovebirds taking their time and ignoring anything but each other. Draco was about to clear his throat to remind the amorous couple that no, in fact they _weren’t_ alone, when someone beat him to it.

‘Ahem’.

Potter. Right. Draco sighed and turned his attention to the man. Sweet Merlin but Potter had awful taste in clothes… The one time he wasn’t forced to wear the standard Auror robes, he had to go and choose… _this_. Some sort of Muggle attire, what Draco recognised as baggy jeans and a plain white shirt. Draco sighed. Such a waste really. He’d bet Potter could look half decent if only he’d make a bit of an effort with his appearance. Like get some high quality, custom-made wizarding robes. And a haircut. Lose the idiotic glasses. Do something with… _Oh, forget it_ , Draco thought.

‘George. Potter,’ he said curtly, adding a little nod because he was still a Malfoy and had _some_ manners, even when confronted with uncouth Gryffindors such as these two.

He felt his temper flare up as he noted the hint of amusement twinkling in Potter’s eyes, like he knew exactly what Draco had been thinking.

‘Malfoy,’ Potter said, echoing Draco’s own painfully polite tone, expression grave if one chose to ignore the eyes. Which for some reason, Draco had always found rather impossible to do.

‘Harry darling, lovely to see you,’ Pansy interrupted Draco’s thoughts. Apparently she’d just come up for air and finally remembered their presence.

‘Hello Pansy. Always a pleasure,’ Harry replied, giving her a warm smile and pulling her in for a quick hug.

‘Draco mate, good to see you,’ George greeted him, with the customary grin and an added thump on the shoulder. Ouch.

With the greetings finally over with, they sat down and started looking at the menus. All except Draco that was. He was too busy wondering what on earth Potter was doing here? And why was everyone else acting like it was no big deal, just an everyday occurrence? Which it most decidedly _was not_. Not for Draco anyway. Sure, having dinner with George and Pansy was common enough, but with Harry bloody Potter? Not likely. All he ever saw of the silly git was when he was prancing around the Ministry halls, always with a small, or not so small, band of admirers trailing behind. Because he was the “Git That Lived”, wasn’t he… In fact, Draco wondered what Potter was doing here now without his little fan club. He must be feeling positively lonely.

Draco absolutely _refused_ to be the one to ask though. He’d already slipped when he was caught off-guard by stupid Potter walking into “Le Sorcier Agile” when he least expected it. But he wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of asking for an explanation now. They all wanted to pretend that there was nothing unusual about the four of them having dinner together at the most coveted table of this exquisite French restaurant? _Fine_. He could play that game.

With an almost regal composure, or that was what Draco was aiming for anyway, he reached for the menu and started to scrutinise it. Hmmmm… seafood possibly…

* * *

Harry tucked into the delicious looking salad of spring greens with relish. The colours were fresh and vibrant, the taste a delicate combination of different flavours and textures. Harry sighed happily as he took another bite and then looked around the table.

They were all quiet for the moment, everyone concentrating on the excellent food in front of them. Not for the first time that evening, Harry stole a quick glance across the table. It was strange to be sharing a meal with Malfoy of all people, strange to see more of him than a mere glimpse of blond hair rounding a corner of one of the many Ministry halls.

At least for him it hadn’t been unexpected. He’d been prepared to see Malfoy here, where Malfoy clearly hadn’t been. Pansy obviously hadn’t seen fit to fill her friend in on the purpose of their little get-together this evening, and judging by the shared mirth between her and her fiancé, that omission was not accidental.

Never in a million years would Harry have expected George and Pansy to be the perfect fit they so obviously were. After the war and losing Fred, George had been left devastated. For years he wasn’t himself, never quite complete without his twin beside him. He’d thrown himself into his work, so much so that Harry and the Weasleys worried for his health, worried he would never be his old self again.

Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes had thrived on all the hard work of course, and shops had been opened in several international cities such as Paris, New York and Milan.

It was at the grand gala opening of a brand new wizarding shopping centre just outside Athens that Harry had unwittingly introduced George to his future spouse. George was there because one of the main shops was a Weasley joke shop of course, and Pansy was there because that’s just what she did. Harry had seen her before at functions he’d felt obliged to attend, looking all smiley and glamorous, but with eyes that seemed desolate and full of sorrow. Harry knew what had caused that sadness, knew Pansy had no family left, both her mother and father having died at the final battle.

At one such function, Harry had struck up a conversation with her. Not about anything important, just some friendly gossip about some of their Hogwarts professors and fellow students. She’d looked startled at first, but after a while she hesitantly started to respond to him. He’d seen her at other events since then, and they’d always find the time for a friendly chat. They were in the middle of one of those chats, when George interrupted them at the gala opening.

Harry had seen it happen. They seemed to recognise something in each other, not like a bolt of lightning, but a more gentle connection, one that would burn slowly but surely. They’d found each other that day and had been together ever since. George made Pansy laugh and brought the life back into her eyes, while Pansy made him whole again, encouraging him with warmth and an unexpectedly wicked sense of humour that struck just the right chord.

Yes, Harry was happy for them. He’d love to find a man one day who could make him as happy as Pansy and George did each other, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever be that lucky.

Harry looked up when he heard Pansy clear her throat as if preparing for a speech. Oh. This would be the moment then. He turned his eyes to Malfoy expectantly. For all the trouble Harry was in for, he could at least enjoy the show.

Malfoy finished the last of his entrée (“escargots”, the pretentious little snob)and looked up at his friend with a superior calm. _We’ll see how long that lasts_ , Harry thought with a hint of glee.

‘Right…’ she started, ‘Draco, Harry, thank you for sharing this impromptu celebratory dinner with us. As you both know, we’ll be getting married four weeks from now. We’ve decided on the Aequalis Bond, which means we’ll each need a Confidant to stand up with us’.

Harry kept sneaking glances at Malfoy, looking for the moment those expressive silver eyes began to widen in comprehension. He wasn’t disappointed. Draco looked from Pansy to George to Harry, searching their faces for something, _anything_ that would deny what he thought he knew. _No such luck_ , Harry thought.

‘Yes,’ George said cheerfully, a wicked glint to his eyes, ‘We’re ever so grateful you two decided you could be mature enough to play nice. Because of course you’ll have to now that you’ve agreed to be our Confidants’.

‘Now now George darling, let’s not ask them for the impossible. It’s just for the bonding ceremony they’ll be forced to be civil with each other,’ Pansy playfully scolded her fiancée.

Harry looked at Malfoy and saw him first go very pale and then flush with colour.

‘But… but…’ Malfoy spluttered ineffectually.

Pansy looked at him with mock concern and asked: ‘What’s the matter Draco? You agreed to be my Confidant, did you not?’

‘Well yes, but… I most certainly did _not_ agree on anything involving _him_!’ he managed to get out.

George raised his eyebrows and put on a sad face.

‘But Draco, I thought you liked me,’ he pouted, coyly fluttering his eyelashes.

Malfoy’s glare was so frosty Harry was surprised George wasn’t sporting icicles down his freckly nose. Clearly deciding to ignore that last statement, Malfoy said: ‘I would have _assumed_ you could have picked a Confidant from amongst one of your ginger relatives’. His eyes narrowed as he said: ‘You did this on purpose, didn’t you’.

‘You wound me,’ George declared, putting a hand on his heart in a dramatic gesture. He might have had a tiny hope of pulling that expression of hurt and wounded pride off, if it wasn’t for Pansy’s snickering.

Harry sat up a little straighter. Hang on… Malfoy did have a point there… He eyed George suspiciously.

Malfoy snorted.

‘Oh, only now catching on are you Potter? We’ve been thoroughly set up here,’ he spat out.

Harry looked over at George and Pansy to see identical angelic expressions that wouldn’t fool a first year Hufflepuff. He hesitated, then looked back to Malfoy and said: ‘Come on Malfoy. Yes, it’s going to be rather awkward. But it’s only the one day, isn’t it. I’m… fairly sure we can be all nice and polite for just one day, can’t we?’

Harry wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, Malfoy or himself. From the looks of it, he wasn’t doing a very good job either way.

Malfoy sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation.

‘One day Potter? Is that what you think?’ he said, after a few moments of silence. He opened his eyes and continued. ‘Do you know _anything_ about the Aequalis bonding ceremony? Do you?’

‘Er… No?’ Harry tried. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. Malfoy’s reaction seemed excessive, even for him. There had to be more to it than Harry could see right now…

* * *

 

**Chapter 2 The Poseidon Vase**

‘You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me…’ Potter groaned.

Draco looked at him, disapproval written all over his face. They were sitting at one of the secluded little tables at the Leaky Cauldron. After much useless pleading and begging of the engaged couple,  Draco and Potter had reluctantly agreed to meet here to fulfil the first of their duties as Confidants.

‘Unfortunately not Potter,’ he drawled. ‘Anyway, what are _you_ complaining about? It’s obviously your friend Weasley’s bad influence that made Pansy decide to go along with this’.

‘ _My_ friend? I thought George was _your_ friend as well these days?’ Potter shot back.

‘Not when he’s being stupid he’s not,’ Draco huffed. ‘Then he’s all yours’.

Potter rolled his eyes.

‘Whatever you say Malfoy. Let’s just get this over with, yeah? Now tell me again what we need to do first,’ Potter sighed.

Draco silently counted to ten. Merlin, the man tried his patience…

‘As I was saying, before you so _rudely_ interrupted me, the “Aequalis Bond” or “Bond of Equals” comes with a ceremony rich in wizarding symbolism’, Draco explained patiently. Or as patiently as one could be when confronted with the likes of Potter… ‘The bond was used in ancient times when two equally important and influential Pureblood families were about to become linked through a marriage bond. In order not to snub either family, they painstakingly loaded the ceremony with symbols of balance and equality, making it clear that neither party was deemed lesser nor higher than the other. Not just _any_ symbols would do mind, they would have to be representative of both of these particular Pureblood families’.

‘That doesn’t make any _sense_ ,’ Potter complained plaintively. ‘Why on earth would George and Pansy choose such a ridiculously pretentious bond?’

Draco stiffened at the words.

‘Oh, I’m sorry this is so offensive to The Saviour’s delicate sensibilities,’ Draco sneered. ‘I’ll have you know that the “Aequalis Bond” is actually quite popular these days. I think the idea of equal partners appeals to both Purebloods and Muggleborns alike, but hey, what do I know, right? No doubt you’re so used to your little lackeys, running after you, licking at your heels, that that’s what you’ll expect the little Weaslette to do after you tie the knot’.

That seemed to get Potter all riled up. Well good. Draco wasn’t going to put up with any of the git’s crap, Potter might as well start realising that now.

Potter took a deep breath in an obvious attempt to calm himself.

‘You know what? Fine. I’m not even going to bother. Just tell me what we need to do so we can fucking go and _do_ it and then I can get the hell out of here,’ he said.

Draco felt oddly disappointed. He hadn’t realised that he’d actually quite enjoyed arguing with Potter like that. At least nothing was ever _dull_ when Potter was around.

‘The two Bond Partners, that would be Pansy and George, will each take care of a symbol for either femininity or masculinity. The Bonder, that would be the witch that will lead the bonding ceremony, will bring the symbol of unity, usually rings for each Bond Partner,’ Draco continued his explanation.

Potter was listening attentively. It felt quite satisfying to have those expressive green eyes focussed entirely on Draco for a change. He sat up a little straighter, feeling ridiculous while doing so but still unable to stop himself.

‘Alright,’ Potter said. ‘So I gather we’re supposed to find some symbols as well?’

Draco nodded.

‘That’s right. It’s the job of the Bond Confidants to find the last remaining items, symbols for the four elements’.

Potter bit his bottom lip and squinted thoughtfully. Draco caught himself looking at the white teeth worrying the tender flesh and shook himself. What on earth was the matter with him? He was paying Potter _way_ more attention than strictly necessary and that needed to stop _right now_.

‘That seems doable,’ Potter said thoughtfully. ‘So which two do you want to take?’

Draco shook his head regretfully. If only it were that simple…

‘No splitting the task I’m afraid. The ceremony requires us to find the symbols together, one for each element,’ Draco said.

Potter eyed him miserably, which for some reason annoyed Draco to no end.

‘Hey,’ he complained, ‘don’t blame me! Can’t say I’m looking forward to spending all my free time with _you_ of all people’.

‘What do you mean _all_ your free time? We’ll manage to find all four symbols today won’t we?’ Potter asked, looking puzzled. ‘I mean, how hard can it be? We’ll buy, I don’t know, a candle for fire, a glass for water, a potted plant for earth and… actually I can’t really think of something for air off the top of my head…’

‘No!’ Draco cried out, looking aghast. ‘Will you bloody listen! I _told_ you, it can’t be just _anything_. We’ll need something representative of the Weasleys and the Parkinsons specifically. And it needs to be something meaningful and magical, not just some random bits and pieces!’

‘Fine!’ Potter bit back. ‘I don’t know why you’re bothering though. You said yourself Pansy and George are only doing this as a joke. I’m sure they’re having a right laugh at our expense, picturing us bickering about what symbol to choose’.

Draco raised his eyes to the heavens in exasperation.

‘Not the point Potter. _So_ not the point…’ Draco sighed. ‘Regardless of Pansy and George’s intent, I for one actually respect the old Pureblood traditions and therefore will take my duties seriously. I would advise you to do the same’.

Potter snorted.

Draco bristled and said: ‘Yes Potter, I realise you couldn’t care less about tradition. But the symbols are fairly important you know. Strong, powerful symbols will serve to strengthen the bond. You know as well as I do that Pansy and George, oh irony of ironies, are pretty much perfectly suited for each other. Don’t you want to give them the strongest base for their marriage and future happiness that you can?’

* * *

 

_Not fair_ , Harry thought sulkily.

Malfoy had him there, no point denying it. Harry loved George like a brother and he’d become very fond of Pansy as well. He wanted them both to be happy, they thoroughly deserved it with all they’d gone through.

‘Ok,’ he said, resigning himself with his lot. ‘The sooner we start looking for these symbols, the sooner we’ll be done, right? So, where to first?’

Harry gulped down the last of his butterbeer and stood up. Malfoy remained seated for a moment longer, looking thoughtful. Then he nodded as if having made a decision and got up from the table.

‘Let’s go,’ he said, walking out of the pub and into Diagon Alley without checking to see if Harry would follow.

‘Wanker,’ Harry mumbled, following Draco out into the daylight. ‘Where are we going exactly?’

‘Hmm?’ Malfoy enquired, looking distracted. ‘Oh. Over here…’ He made a vague gesture, indicating Merlin knew what, and walked on in a quick pace.

‘Well that was clear,’ Harry complained, giving up for the moment and just following Malfoy obediently.

‘Ah, here we are,’ Malfoy announced with satisfaction.

Harry looked up to read the gold-leaf lettering above the elegant looking window display. _Madam Woodcroft’s Exquisite Antiques_ , it read. Harry followed Malfoy in, feeling a bit dubious. The items in the shop all looked equally dainty and priceless, not an environment Harry felt very comfortable in. He was careful to keep his arms by his side, making sure not to accidentally bump into some no doubt priceless artefact.

Malfoy of course moved around the store with ease, navigating his way around with purpose. He was the picture of elegance, he probably hadn’t done anything clumsy in his life.

‘What do you think Potter? See anything we could use?’ Malfoy asked, looking back over his shoulder.

Harry shrugged.

‘Not sure. What are we looking for exactly? I mean, is there a particular order in which we need to find stuff?’

Draco shook his head.

‘Not really,’ he said. ‘Just look around, see if anything pops out at you’.

Harry stood still and then slowly let his gaze scope the entire shop. There were some beautiful things there, that much Harry could see. His eyes flew over some items, dismissing them instantly, then lingered on others, considering them more seriously before dismissing them as well.

Suddenly, he thought he saw something. Holding his breath, he took a few steps closer to examine his selection more thoroughly.

‘How about this?’ he asked, pointing at a rather large, elegant looking vase.

Malfoy pursed his lips thoughtfully and stepped closer to take a good look. The vase was made of glass in different shades of a subtle blue. Its lines were simple yet delicate, it had a slight curve and a quirky looking twist around the base.

‘Maybe…’ Malfoy considered out loud. ‘Tell me why you like it’.

Harry shuffled his feet self-consciously. He was no good at this. As an Auror, he was used to going with his gut, listening to his instincts. He knew this vase was what they were looking for, but he had trouble finding the words that would explain what he knew to someone like Malfoy.

‘I… I don’t know,’ he said. ‘It would be for the element water obviously, as it’s a vase and it’s blue. It’s beautiful, elegant, but I guess a bit different as well. Unique probably, which both Pansy and George are, individually and as a couple. I don’t know Malfoy, it just _feels_ right alright?’ Harry finished lamely.

Harry was sure Malfoy would scoff at that, but he didn’t. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully.

‘I think you’re right,’ he said, looking at Harry with an approval that made a little flutter dance around in Harry’s stomach. ‘The shape is perfect, with just the right amount of refinement and quirkiness to be perfect for Pansy and sturdy and solid looking enough for George. I like it. I really do. Let’s find out a little bit more about it, shall we?’

Harry felt himself blush with pleasure. The approval coming from Malfoy was highly unexpected and well, quite nice really. He smiled at Malfoy, but he had already turned away to signal the owner of the shop. The elderly lady made her excuses to the couple she’d been talking to and made her way over to them.

‘Hello gentlemen,  welcome to my little shop,’ she said, smiling pleasantly. ‘My name is Madam Woodcroft. How may I help you?’

Malfoy indicated the vase with a little nod.

‘We’re interested to hear a little more about this piece. Could you tell us something of its history and its magical properties please?’

‘Of course, of course!’ the witch exclaimed happily. ‘A fine choice if I may say so. This is the Poseidon Vase, made of unbreakable glass and rumoured to have originated on the drowned, magical island of Atlantis. It has been in the Tekosis family for centuries, brought to England by Hesperos Tekosis over fifty years ago. He married into the Knightly family, bringing the vase as a wedding gift to his wife. It came to me in a large estate sale only recently and I’m rather proud of it’.

‘Does it have any magical properties besides being unbreakable?’ Harry enquired.

‘Oh yes,’ Madam Woodcroft enthused. ‘It’s enchanted to make flowers stay in bloom longer and it has an Aguamenti charm imbedded in the glass to make sure the flowers are never without water’.

‘Excellent,’ Malfoy said. ‘I think we’ll take it Madam’.

After a quick negotiation over the price, Madam Woodcroft wrapped the vase up and they were on their way.

‘Good work Potter,’ Malfoy said as soon as they stepped out of the antique shop. ‘At this rate, we’ll have our job finished in no time’.

‘Er… thanks,’ Harry said hesitantly.

Malfoy checked his pocket watch.

‘Right. I think I’ll just have enough time to drop the vase off at my flat if I apparate there now. I’ll meet you all for the fitting after that’.

He left Harry feeling very much confused. The morning with Malfoy had almost turned out… pleasant. How was that even possible? He shook his head wearily, slowly strolling back toward the Leaky Cauldron and the door to Muggle London.

* * *

**Chapter 3 A Look**

‘You look absolutely stunning Pansy,’ Draco said, smiling warmly at his friend.

‘You look totally amazing,’ Potter agreed.

‘Thank you boys. I must say I do _feel_ amazingly stunning in this dress,’ Pansy said, doing a little twirl on the spot.

‘Oi!’ they heard George’s voice, coming from behind the heavy white velvet curtain, ‘Someone have a heart and fill me in please?’

Harry stood up and stuck his head through the curtains behind which George had been banished.

‘Sorry mate,’ he said. ‘Pansy’s going all Muggle on this part of the ceremony I’m afraid. She said if you do something, you should do it right, so the first time you’ll see the dress is at the ceremony’.

‘Muggle, dear?’ came the confused sounding comment from the woman pinning Pansy’s dress. ‘I’m sorry, what was that?’

Draco smacked Potter on the shin, which was sadly the only part of him within reach.

‘Ow!’ Potter complained, rubbing his shin. ‘Was that quite necessary?’

‘Yes,’ said both Pansy and Draco at the same time.

‘Fine, sorry,’ Potter mumbled, still rubbing at his shin sulkily.

‘What Potter here meant was that Miss Parkinson has decided to stick with tradition, which for the groom means no peeking at the wedding dress before the wedding,’ Draco said, giving the saleswoman a winning smile.

‘Oh, absolutely,’ she agreed. Then she said to Pansy: ‘So, Miss Parkinson, have you come to a decision? Is this dress going to be the one?’

Pansy turned back toward the large mirror and looked at herself admiringly. She smoothed a hand down the ivory silk and moved around a bit to watch the dress flow around her legs. The dress was held up with tiny straps over the shoulders, it hugged her curves perfectly without being too revealing and had a simple yet very elegant cut. Draco thought she’d never looked more beautiful.

‘Oh yes Miss Harris,’ she said, beaming happily. ‘This is the one’.

Miss Harris clapped her hands excitedly and ushered Pansy back into the changing room to change clothes.

‘It’s your turn now boys,’ Pansy called from behind the changing room door. ‘Miss Harris and I have already selected a few options for you to choose from, why don’t you go ahead and take a look?’

‘I guess that means I can come in now,’ George said, stepping through the curtains without waiting for a response.

The three men hurried over to the rack set up in the corner of the room. Draco was quite anxious about this part. He didn’t go out into the Muggle world all that often and he’d never been to a Muggle wedding. All in all, he was slightly worried about what he was supposed to be wearing.

‘Oooh, I like this one!’ George exclaimed, holding up a Muggle suit that looked to be made of cashmere.

‘I knew you would darling, that’s why I picked it out for you,’ Pansy said with a smirk. She’d changed back in the green dress she was wearing before and came over to see what the men were up to.

‘I still don’t think it’s fair though,’ George complained. ‘How come I’m not allowed to see your dress but you still get to choose my suit?’

‘Because I have impeccable taste and I need to make sure that whatever you wear is going to be up to my standards of course,’ she stated plainly.

‘Isn’t that supposed to be Harry’s job, you know, being my Confidant and all?’ George asked, still sounding slightly sulky.

Both Pansy and Draco snorted at that.

‘Really George?’ Draco asked, rolling his eyes. ‘You’d rely on _fashion_ advice from the person who picked out _that_ outfit when deciding what to wear this morning?’

‘Hey!’ Potter complained with an injured look. ‘I’d like to know what’s wrong with my outfit’.

‘Nothing Harry dear, don’t listed to Draco, he’s just being mean,’ Pansy quickly soothed him. ‘It’s just that your style is a bit, you know… casual for a wedding, isn’t it…’

She shot Draco a warning glare and mouthed the words “ _play nice_ ” to him. Draco sighed and gave a little nod in acknowledgement. He had promised after all.

‘Yes, that’s what I meant as well,’ Draco finally said, trying to look sincere. Potter still looked a bit suspicious, but left it at that.

Pansy stepped forward and pulled two pairs of suits from the rack.

‘Alright’, Pansy said, suddenly all business. ‘As the two Confidants, you’ll be wearing identical suits for the ceremony. It was quite a challenge with your different build and colouring to find something that would work for both of you. But even if I do so say so myself, I think we’ve managed to pull it off’.

Draco stepped up and whisked one of the suits out of Pansy’s hands and made his way over to one of the changing rooms.

‘Fine,’ he huffed as he went. ‘Let’s get this over with’.

After he pulled the door closed behind him, he hung up the suit and fingered it reverently. He wasn’t going to admit it to Pansy of course, but the minute he saw the suit, he’d fallen just a little bit in love with it. It was made from a high quality, charcoal grey cashmere, and Draco could tell without trying it on that it would fit him perfectly. He almost felt giddy as he quickly undressed and slipped on the suit and the white button down silk shirt and grey tie that went with it. He admired himself in the mirror for quite some time, turning this way and that, before finally emerging from the changing room trying to look as casual as possible.

Pansy squealed in delight when she saw him.

‘Oh Draco, you look so _handsome_ ,’ she exclaimed. She placed her hands on his shoulders and made him turn so she could admire him from every angle. Draco had no objections to that, he just smiled indulgently and let himself be admired.

‘You look great Draco, seriously,’ George said, smacking him on the shoulder. ‘You’ll be beating them off with sticks for sure!’

‘Yes, thank you George, for what I assume was meant to be a compliment. Now why don’t you…’ Draco started.

And then he was silent. He’d heard the door to Potter’s changing room open and turned to face him while still talking. The minute he had a good look at Potter, he forgot what he was saying.

_Fuck_. So _that_ ’s what Potter could look like if he made a bit of an effort…

Draco heard Pansy’s enthusiastic chatter somewhere in the background. He could see George complimenting Potter, he was vaguely aware of the saleswoman’s appreciative comments… But nothing really registered except how fucking _good_ Potter looked in that suit. Draco was uncomfortably aware of the fact that he might just be _staring_ at _Potter_ , but he didn’t seem able to stop himself.

* * *

 

‘I feel like a bloody idiot,’ Harry complained.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this uncomfortable. He’d looked at himself in the mirror before stepping out of the changing room of course, so he knew what he looked like. He’d thought he looked alright. Different, a bit posh, but still, all things considered, alright...

He’d been ok with Mrs Harris’ gushing. Not thrilled about it, but ok. He could handle Pansy’s mock flirting and saucy remarks. He was fine with George’s honest compliments. But then he had to go and look at Malfoy… That’s when he’d stopped feeling alright and started to feel like an idiot.

Because Malfoy was _looking_ at him. Like, _really_ looking. Looking all intense with his silver eyes fixed solely on Harry, making Harry feel very uncomfortable indeed. That feeling was only intensified by the fact that Harry had no idea what that look _meant_. Or actually he did, he’d just never expect to see it on the face of _Malfoy_ of all people. Or not while he was looking at Harry anyway.  And worst of all, Harry was looking right back.

‘… don’t you think? Harry? Draco?’

Harry shook himself mentally, trying to rip his gaze away from Malfoy’s and look at Pansy, who’d obviously just asked the two of them some sort of question. It was Malfoy who got his act together first.

‘Sorry Pansy, what was that?’ Malfoy said, smiling politely.

‘Something have you distracted there Draco darling?’ she smirked. ‘Can’t say I blame you. You both look fabulous, you honestly do’.

‘Yes, well…’ Malfoy said. ‘I have to admit you still have an eye for this kind of thing Pansy. The suit is an excellent choice, for both Potter and myself’.

With those last words, Malfoy glanced at Harry one more time before quickly turning his eyes back to Pansy. Harry repressed a small shiver. _Stop that_ , he scolded himself. _It’s_ Malfoy _for fuck’s sake!_

But the uneasiness stayed with him for the rest of the afternoon. Unable to simply shake it off, he tried not to think about it too much, not to think about Malfoy and how he’d looked at Harry and more importantly, how that look had shaken Harry as much as it had.

It wasn’t until they were back in Diagon Alley, having a celebratory drink at the Leaky Cauldron, that Harry began to relax a bit. The comfortable, familiar pub was like a warm, soothing bath to his nerves. And the three shots of firewhiskey didn’t hurt matters either.

‘… without killing each other?’

_Shit_. He’d done it again. Let his eyes linger on Malfoy for a bit too long and his mind drift off to places he really, really shouldn’t. And now George was looking at him expectantly, obviously having just asked Harry some sort of question.

‘Erm… sorry George, what did you say?’ Harry asked.

‘I was wondering how you were getting on with the quest for the four symbols?’ George asked. He got a wicked glint in his eyes and continued: ‘More specifically, how you’re managing with the no-killing each other rule while performing your duties as my Confidant?’

Harry narrowed his eyes at his “friend” and said: ‘You are aware of the fact that you’re enjoying this way too much, aren’t you?’

‘I’d say we’re enjoying it pretty much exactly the right amount thanks,’ George gave back, looking unapologetically gleeful.

‘Say Potter,’ Malfoy intervened, ‘you’ve known George here for quite some time, have you not?’

At Harry’s affirmative nod, Malfoy continued: ‘That must mean you have your share of embarrassing stories to tell. Excellent. I’m sure that’ll make for an… _interesting_ speech…’

Malfoy smiled sweetly at George before snatching his firewhiskey and quickly gulping it down.

‘Hey, get your own!’ George protested, slapping Malfoy’s hand away good humouredly.

Malfoy looked at him with perfect disdain, softened only slightly by the tiny upward curl of his lips.

‘I do believe you owe me George, me and Potter here both,’ he said. ‘So I suggest you bite me. Oh, and get us another round in will you?’

Laughter roared around the table and another round of drinks was bought by George. Oddly enough, Harry was actually having a pretty good time. And even stranger was, that Draco Malfoy had a lot to do with that. _Interesting_ , Harry thought again. Yes, the man was anything but boring.

He’d not really had contact with Malfoy since the end of the war, even though they both worked at the Ministry these days. After all, the Auror department didn’t usually have all that much to do with the Department of Mysteries, and Harry was mostly operating in the field anyway. He tried to make a point of it to avoid the Auror’s office as much as possible, since all that was waiting for him there were stacks of paperwork and people _wanting_ stuff from him.

Harry wasn’t even sure what exactly Malfoy _did_ at the Department of Mysteries. He’d like to find out a little bit more about his former school rival, and this seemed as good a place to start as any.

* * *

**Chapter 4 Lunch at the Leaky Cauldron**

‘Hey Malfoy’.

Draco looked up from his half-finished report on the Enigma of Aesalon and watched Harry Potter stroll into his office, casual as you like. _What the fuck?_ Draco thought.

‘Potter? What on earth brings you to my office?’ Draco asked. Spotting the slightly guilty look on Potter’s face, he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this unexpected visit. ‘Are you here on official Auror business? Because I would have thought, that even _you_ know I tend to stay on the right side of the law these days’.

Potter looked startled.

‘What? No!’ he stammered. ‘No of course not Malfoy’.

He looked so sincere as he said it, that Draco had no choice but to believe him. Relaxing a bit, he asked: ‘Alright. So what _are_ you here for?’

Potter raked a hand through his messy hair and cleared his throat uncomfortably. Before last week, Draco would have scoffed at him for his manners and shaken his head at the unruly mop of dark hair. He would have looked at Potter and seen the uncouth, attention-craving Hero of the Wizarding World he’d always seen. But now… something had changed. He couldn’t put his finger on it exactly, but something was definitely different.

‘Well?’ he prompted, seeing as Potter hadn’t answered his question as of yet.

‘Oh. Right. Well, erm… It’s lunchtime?’ Potter tried.

Draco raised an eyebrow sceptically and prompted: ‘Yes?’

Surely Potter wasn’t asking Draco to join him for lunch, was he?

‘You do eat lunch right?’ Potter asked, looking a bit concerned.

‘On occasion,’ Draco assented.

Potter sighed and rolled his eyes, like he felt Draco was the one trying _his_ patience.

‘So how about today? Will you come out and eat lunch with me today? You and me. At the Leaky Cauldron. Like, now,’ Potter spelled it out.

‘Ok. Why?’ Draco blurted out.

Potter bit his lip and fidgeted with his Auror robes. Which did look quite good on him now that Draco was thinking about it. Which he wasn’t. At all. Obviously.

It took him a while to realise Potter had started answering his question.

‘… and so I thought we could make some plans. You know, on where and how to find the next item. And we should probably arrange for a date and time to meet again. I thought anyway. Malfoy?’ Potter ended, looking at Draco a bit funnily.

‘Hmmm? Yes alright,’ Draco agreed.

He closed the folder in front of him, got up from behind his desk and followed Potter out of the Ministry. They took the main exit, which was only a few minutes walk away from the Leaky Cauldron.

‘Our usual table?’ Potter asked, heading for the table they had shared before.

Draco smirked and said: ‘We have a usual table now?’

Potter shrugged and did that nervous habit thing again where he raked a hand through his hair, messing it up even worse than usual. And was he… _blushing_? How curious. _And also quite adorable_ , Draco couldn’t help but think.

‘I’m just teasing you Potter,’ Draco said with a small smile. ‘Come on’.

They walked toward what was now apparently _their_ table and sat down. Draco watched Potter through his eyelashes as Potter perused the lunch menu. Draco didn’t need to look at the menu. He already knew what he was going to order so he used the time to look at Potter instead. _Yes, the Auror robes really do look good on him_ , Draco decided.

They ordered their lunch and had what was actually quite a nice and civil conversation. If he wasn’t careful, Draco might grow used to this. And wasn’t _that_ a disturbing thought…

‘So… Potter. About that meeting,’ Draco said.

‘Harry,’ Potter said.

Draco raised an eyebrow quizzically.

‘I’m sorry, what?’ he enquired.

Potter smiled and repeated: ‘I said Harry. You should call me Harry. You know, since we’re required to be all nice and friendly and stuff’.

Now _that_ was just all kinds of wrong. Draco couldn’t possibly call Potter _Harry_ , could he?

‘Harry…’ he tried.

Ok, so technically he could do it. It felt a bit odd, but he could get used to it. Maybe. And Potter, no _Harry_ , did look very pleased which was nice.

‘So, _Harry_ ,’ he tried again, more firmly this time, ‘I was thinking about visiting the Manor, perhaps tonight? I know there are more artefacts stored there than in any antique shop in the country. Should be worth a try, don’t you think?’

‘Visit?’ Harry asked, looking puzzled. ‘You don’t live there?’

Draco couldn’t stop himself from pulling a face.

‘Of course I don’t. Funnily enough, most people don’t fancy living in what is basically a gigantic mausoleum. I think I’ll stick to my flat, thank you very much,’ he said.

Harry laughed. A surprisingly nice sound…

‘Good point Malfoy. Or Draco,’ he added as if in an afterthought. ‘It is ok if I call you Draco, right?’

‘Yes,’ Draco agreed, repressing a confusing little shiver at the sound of his first name on Harry Potter’s lips.

There was a moment. Draco looked at Harry, Harry looked right back and, there was definitely a moment. Harry’s expressive green eyes seemed to fill with a sparkle of genuine interest, a sight that almost succeeded in taking Draco’s breath away. He allowed himself a moment, a moment to dream, to think of what ifs… What if Harry Potter was interested in Draco Malfoy? _Attracted_ to him? In a very… non-platonic way? What if…

‘Harry? Harry! How lovely to see you!’

Ginny Weasley threw herself at Harry thereby very _annoyingly_ , blocking Draco’s view of those amazing eyes.

‘Hey Gin,’ Harry answered her, squeezing her into a hug. ‘What a lovely surprise!’

Draco sat up stiffly. Shit. He’d somehow almost managed to forget the existence of girl Weasley.

‘Hi Draco,’ she said, giving him a polite enough smile.

‘Ginevra,’ he answered curtly.

She snorted rather loudly, the way she always did when he called her by her full name. She worked at Gringotts these days, and he’d met with her several times on Ministry business. She was always perfectly nice to him, but Draco hadn’t managed to warm to her the way he’d warmed to her brother George. Of course that had nothing at all to do with her relationship with the one and only Harry Potter. Nothing at all.

* * *

 

‘So… Managed to escape the goblins long enough to have lunch, did you?’ Harry asked.

He smiled at Ginny. It always _was_ nice to see her. Unfortunately her timing seemed to be as bad as ever. He stole a quick glance over at Malf… _Draco_ , and managed a quick apologetic smile. The smile froze on his face when he saw the cold grey eyes and set face looking back at him. What on earth had happened? They had been getting along great, _really_ great, and now… what?

While one part of his brain was holding a conversation with Ginny about her work, his latest Auror assignment and news on various members of the Weasley family,  the other half of his brain was occupied with the enigma that was called Draco Malfoy. Draco ate his lunch quietly, only speaking when asked a direct question and then using as few words as possible.

Harry didn’t understand. They’d been getting on ok, he was sure of that. He’d even thought for a moment that there might be… But Harry guessed he’d read that look wrong. It happened. He tried to ignore the little pang of disappointment. It was fine. Perfectly fine. Of course it was.

To give Ginny credit, she tried her best to include Draco in the conversation. She might as well not have bothered, Draco clearly wasn’t interested. In fact, he’d barely finished the last bite of his lunch before he made his excuses and left. He was gone before Harry could even offer to walk back with him.

‘So, Draco Malfoy eh?’ Ginny commented, a bemused expression on her face.

Harry reluctantly turned his attention back to his friend and asked: ‘What?’

Ginny laughed.

‘I’m just saying I should have seen this one coming a mile off,’ she explained, her eyes twinkling with mischief. 

‘What on earth are you talking about? Seen what coming?’ Harry asked, feeling very confused and also a bit annoyed.

Ginny looked at him as if he were insane.

‘I’m talking about you and Draco Malfoy, Harry. What else would I be talking about?’ she explained, looking slightly exasperated. ‘I’m saying he always was the one who could rattle you, the one that could get to you, catch your interest as it were. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. I’m sorry I crashed your date Harry, I realised too late’.

Harry almost choked on his water at that.

‘Date?’ he coughed. ‘Date? This was no date! We’re just sorting out stuff for the wedding, that’s all! A date? Merlin Gin, what on earth made you think that?’

She gave Harry a pondering look. After a while, she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion as she leaned forward a bit and started talking with that patient look she’d get, just as Hermione did when she was explaining the concept of Muggle cell phones to Mr Weasley for the umpteenth time.

‘Fine,’ she conceded, ‘so it wasn’t a date. This time’.

She held up a hand to stop the mutters of protest coming from Harry and said: ‘Let me finish please’.

She waited until he gave an affirmative nod before continuing: ‘I’m saying you’ve obviously always had strong feelings for each other. Come on Harry, you were pretty much _obsessed_ with the git while we were at Hogwarts. I should know, I tried to distract you from him several times with minimal success’.

She still looked a bit miffed about that.

‘Sorry Gin,’ Harry said. ‘I suppose you have a point there. I might have been a tad obsessed with Draco back then. But only because I always thought he was up to something. And more often than not, I was right!’

Ginny shook her head wearily.

‘Merlin Harry, you can be simple sometimes,’ she muttered.

‘Hey!’ Harry protested, feeling indignant.

‘Sorry, sorry…’ Ginny apologised. ‘It’s just… have you seen the way he looks at you Harry? Never mind that, did you see the way he looked at _me_ earlier? He was none too pleased with me for interrupting your non date, that much was obvious’.

Harry nodded and said: ‘Yes I did notice that. Not sure why though?’

‘Isn’t it obvious? He was jealous,’ Ginny stated.

‘What on earth would Draco be jealous about?’ Harry asked.

Ginny gave him a pointed look.

‘I’m not going to spell it out for you Harry. Figure that part out for yourself. You’re meeting him at the Manor tonight aren’t you?’ she enquired. At Harry’s affirmative nod she continued: ‘Good. I’m sure you’ll figure it out together’.

She got up and smirked.

‘I’m heading back to the office. Some of us have to work for a living you know! Have fun tonight Harry. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!’

And with those words, she was out the door, leaving a confused Harry behind.

* * *

**Chapter 5 Earth and Fire**

‘Potter. You’re here,’ Draco stated redundantly. Because of course there he was, standing in front of the Manor door, nine o’clock on the dot, as agreed, looking... good. He looked good. Draco felt it was safest to leave it at that. Best not to dwell on the tight fit of his jeans, or the black t-shirt that stretched over his chest…

_I’m sure his_ girlfriend _appreciated the effort_ , Draco sneered silently. Harry had apparently managed to detach himself from girl Weasley long enough to meet Draco at the Manor. Draco supposed he should feel grateful for that. Or something…

‘Er, yes? And what’s with the “Potter”? It’s Harry, remember?’ Harry said, looking a bit baffled at his cool reception.

‘Right, right…’ Draco asserted vaguely. ‘Well. I suppose you’d better come in’.

With those words, Draco took a step back and motioned for Harry to follow him in.

Draco had only just arrived himself. He made a point of it not to spend any more time at the Manor than strictly necessary. He’d visit once a month or so, to reassure the Manor’s wards that there was still a true Malfoy to preside over it, but that was all.

He shivered as he led Harry through the house in the direction of the Garden Room. He silently cursed the enormous halls made out of hard, cold white marble. Draco couldn’t muster up a heating charm strong enough to have any effect on the larger areas of the Manor, so instead, he chose to stick to the smaller rooms only when he visited. He heaved a sigh of relief as he pulled open the door to the Garden Room and felt the pleasant warmth tingle on his skin. There was no need for a heating charm here today, as the sun’s warmth still lingered in the room fitted with large windows and patio doors.

He sat down on one of the large, squishy armchairs and motioned for Harry to take the other one. He noticed Harry raise his eyebrows at the comfortable looking chairs that stood out like a sore thumb among the formal furniture of the Manor.

‘I like to have a comfortable place to sit,’ Draco said, by way of explanation. He shrugged and continued: ‘I hated the awful hardback chairs that littered this room anyway, so I transfigured them into something a little more inviting’.

Harry smiled at him as he sat down, a smile that almost made Draco forget how irritated he was with him. And why was that again? Ah yes, it was something to do with Harry getting all cosy with the Weasley girl earlier today… Draco felt himself flush. He coughed in an effort to hide his embarrassment.

‘So,’ Harry said, ‘do you have a plan? I mean, how are we going to do this?’

‘I’m hopeful that we can find at least one but perhaps all the symbols here. My parents left most of the family heirlooms behind when they moved to France after the war, taking only the most treasured items with them. In fact, I even have an object in mind to represent fire,’ Draco said.

‘Seriously? That’s excellent news. Where is it?’ Harry asked.

Draco got up and braced himself to step out of the warm Garden Room and into the icy Manor halls once more.

‘Come on, it’s up on the second floor,’ he said, leading the way.

 When they arrived on the second floor, they walked past three large oak doors, before stopping at the fourth.

‘This is the room that was used by my Great Aunt Cassiopeia when she stayed over at the Manor to visit my grandparents. She died before I was born, so I’ve only ever met her portrait. This was one of my favourite rooms to play in when I was a boy,’ Draco said, stepping into the room.

Draco looked around the room and was filled with pleasant memories of hours of carefree play in this very room. This used to be a safe haven, a place to escape the oppressive atmosphere that haunted most of his childhood home. He checked to see if Great Aunt Cassiopeia was currently in her portrait, but the beautiful frame was empty for the moment. He was sure that Krinkey, the only house elf that hadn’t joined his parents in France, would alert his Great Aunt to their presence eventually.

‘This is a lovely room,’ Harry said appreciatively. ‘I can see why you would have enjoyed playing here’.

Draco smiled at him and tried to see the room through Harry’s eyes. The room wasn’t as big or as richly furnished as most of the rooms in the Manor were, but the colours were lovely and soft, the windows let in plenty of light and the furniture looked invitingly comfortable as well as elegant.

‘So… you think we’ll find our symbol for fire somewhere in this room?’ Harry asked after a moment of silence.

Draco startled.

‘Oh yes, of course. It’s right here I think,’ Draco said, walking toward the small round table in the very corner of the room.

He reached behind a large pile of books that were stacked on the table, and pulled up an antique lantern. It was made of silver, decorated with emeralds of different sizes and had green tinted glass. It was exactly as Draco remembered it. He admired the curved lines of the silver and the beautiful clear green class that emitted a warm light. When he showed it to Harry, the dark-haired wizard gasped with surprise.

‘The light is on? How is that possible? Did you come in here earlier to light it?’ Harry asked.

Draco shook his head.

‘No. This light is always on. I haven’t seen this lantern in years. I remember leaving it here the last time I played in this room,  just before I left for Hogwarts. I mean, I’ve been to this room since then of course, to visit with Great Aunt Cassiopeia’s portrait, but I haven’t thought about the lantern in years now. Not since I started thinking about a symbol we could use for the element fire in fact,’ Draco explained.

‘It’s beautiful’,  Harry admitted, stepping closer to touch the smooth silver reverently. ‘How exactly does it work?’

Draco hesitated.

‘Well, she did tell me a little about it, but I had hoped we would have the opportunity to ask Great Aunt Cassiopeia herself,’ Draco said.

He looked up just in time to see his Great Aunt slip back into her portrait.

‘Draco! Krinkey said you were visiting tonight. What a wonderful surprise!’ his Great Aunt cried out with delight. ‘And I see you’ve brought a young friend with you as well, how lovely. Pray tell me young man, what is your name?’

This last statement was clearly directed at Harry, so Draco elected to stay quiet and let the man respond.

‘Oh, er… Harry Potter, Madam. My name is Harry Potter,’ he managed. Harry seemed to collect himself quickly and added: ‘And you must be Draco’s Great Aunt Cassiopeia. A pleasure Madam’.

Draco smirked as he saw the witch fall under the charm of the Chosen One. She fluttered her eyelids at Harry and started asking him all kinds of questions about his family, his education, his work and how he related to Draco. She was portrayed in her early thirties, wearing a set of pretty blue robes and with her hair falling down her face in soft blonde curls. She was Draco’s favourite relative, always ready for a chat or a gossip and letting Draco play countless games with any of her previous possessions he liked, including the lantern.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt Great Aunt,’ Draco said, ‘but I’m sure Harry will be happy to finish his “Hero stories of the Auror Department” in a minute or so. First, could you please tell us some more about this lantern? It was given to you by your father, was it not?’

Draco ignored Harry’s miffed expression over the “Hero stories” remark, and focussed his attention on his Great Aunt instead.

‘Certainly darling. Although I would like to hear some more about those adventures of yours sometime soon Mister Potter. Perhaps you’d like to come back and visit me another time? You could even try and persuade my handsome nephew here to accompany you. He doesn’t visit me anywhere near as often as I’d like him to’.

At that, she gave Draco a reproachful look. Draco sighed. This was not the first time they’d had this particular conversation.

‘I’m sorry Great Aunt. But you know it has nothing to do with you that I don’t like to visit the Manor very often. I just…’ Draco trailed off.

The stern look in the woman’s eyes softened at the words from her favourite great-nephew.

‘Yes of course,’ she said. ‘I do know that Draco dearest. And I can’t really blame you after what that madman put you through’.

Great Aunt Cassiopeia shuddered. ‘That was a horrible time for us all,’ she continued. ‘Thank Merlin that Lord Voldemort chap is gone now. I didn’t care for his manners one bit’.

Draco smiled at the face she pulled and said: ‘Actually, it’s Harry here you should thank for getting rid of the Dark Lord’.

Draco stole a quick glance at Harry and added softly: ‘We all should. Thank you I mean…’

* * *

 

Harry was caught completely off-guard. Was Draco just… _thanking_ him? He stared at Draco, unable to form a coherent response. Draco just shrugged and turned back to the portrait.

‘Wait… You’re _that_ Harry Potter?’ Great Aunt Cassiopeia exclaimed. ‘Of course, I should have made the connection straight away! I heard that madman scream your name often enough. But you must have been a _child_ back then, you poor thing!’

Harry raked a hand through his hair and mumbled something unintelligible. Draco, clearly taking pity on him, got them back on the topic of the lantern.

‘How is it that the lantern always burns Great Aunt? Is it some sort of spell?’ Draco asked.

She tore her eyes away from Harry with obvious reluctance before answering: ‘It’s actually an oil-based potion that keeps the flame burning, with a spell added to keep the potion replenishing itself. I’m not sure if it’s the original name, but Father always called it “The Lantern of Eternal Light”. He gave it to me the summer before I left for Hogwarts. I was still a bit afraid of the dark back then you see, and the lantern was such a comfort to me. Not only does it always give light, it also gives you warmth when you need it. And one time, when I was stupid enough to wander into the Forbidden Forrest by myself, it guided me straight back to the castle. I’m not ashamed to tell you I almost wept with relief’.

Harry suddenly had a flashback to the Dursleys’ cupboard under the stairs and could imagine what a comfort that little lantern would have been to him back then. He smiled at the witch warmly.

‘Sounds to me like it would make an excellent symbol for the element fire. And the way George and Pansy have brought light, warmth and direction to each other’s life, it’s perfect. Would you mind if we borrow the lantern for the wedding?’ Harry asked.

Great Aunt Cassiopeia beamed at them.

‘Pansy? Is little Pansy getting married? How wonderful! I always did like that girl,’ she said.

Draco gave her the short version of George and Pansy’s story, giving Harry the opportunity to watch Draco interact with his Great Aunt. Draco was nothing but warm and polite to her, smiling more than usual and even laughing out loud now and then. Harry thought it was a mesmerising sight.

Harry couldn’t keep his eyes off Draco for long, not even when they said goodbye to the portrait and started methodically making their way to what felt like every single room in the Manor. Harry did his best to concentrate, look for something that would work as a symbol for either the element air or earth, but he found himself distracted time and again.

Harry watched as Draco impatiently pushed the hair out of his face, listened to Draco quietly mumble to himself while rifling through a stack of paintings, touched his arm covertly under the ruse of helping Draco keep his balance after almost tripping over a ghastly marble ornament… Harry feared he might be getting just as obsessed with Draco as he used to be during their Hogwarts years, though for completely different reasons.

In fact, Harry was just contemplating how delectable an arse Draco had, enjoying the view with Draco bent over a chest of drawers, when all hell broke loose. It was when Draco opened the bottom drawer that something seemed to explode, throwing both of them out of the room and landing them in a heap of limbs a good deal further down the hall.

‘Oompf…’ was all Harry managed to get out.

He was lying flat on his back with Draco sprawled on top of him. A position he might have taken some pleasure from, if it weren’t for the fact that his head hurt like hell and Draco’s elbow was poking him in the ribs.

‘Draco? You ok?’ Harry asked, surprised by the slightly breathless sound of his own voice.

Draco groaned loudly before raising his head and looking at Harry blearily.

‘What happened? How did we get here?’ he mumbled, sounding more than a bit confused and making no attempt to move himself away from Harry. But seeing as Draco had been so kind as to move his pointy elbow away from Harry’s ribs, Harry wasn’t complaining right this moment.

He was a bit too busy staring into still not quite focussed yet startlingly silver grey eyes that were much too close for comfort.

‘Erm… I’m not sure. There was some sort of explosion when you opened that last drawer,’ Harry said, trying to sound calm even though that was made almost impossible by Draco’s proximity.

‘Oh right. One of the Dark Lord’s little surprises he left behind for us to find. I thought we got them all the last time. I guess not,’ Draco sighed.

His eyes had cleared now, and Draco looked like he was assessing his situation. Yet he still wasn’t moving. Instead, he looked at their surroundings, and then looked back at Harry beneath him.

‘Hello,’ Draco said, looking intently into Harry’s eyes.

‘Er… hi,’ Harry answered cautiously. ‘Shouldn’t we, erm, move or something?’

‘In a minute,’ Draco responded absentmindedly. ‘Not just yet I don’t think…’

Harry flushed furiously.

‘Right… Ok… Yes… But erm, shouldn’t we er, I don’t know, go on looking for the symbols? I mean, we still have two to go don’t we and only a little over two weeks until the wedding’.

_For Merlin’s sake, stop babbling!_ Harry chastised himself internally. But it was no use. The stare of Draco’s eyes, the feel of his lean body pressed snugly against Harry’s, the breath he could feel ghost over his cheek… it was too much and Harry was lost. Unfortunately, his mouth wouldn’t desist with the inane chattering.

‘I’m not sure we’re going to find anything more today, so perhaps we’ll be forced to go with my first suggestion. You know, the potted plant thing? I know it isn’t exactly original and…. Mpfff’.

It seemed that where Harry had been unable to find a way to stop his mouth from babbling, Draco had some very effective methods of shutting Harry up. Harry almost forgot to breathe as Draco suddenly lowered his head and pressed a chaste kiss on Harry’s lips. The moment Harry recovered enough to remember to breathe, he gulped in some air. Draco, never one to miss an opportunity, chose to see this as an invitation to thrust his tongue into Harry’s mouth.

After the initial shock, Harry found himself responding to the kiss with much enthusiasm. He wasted no time slipping one hand in the silky blond hair and sliding the other hand down to cup and squeeze that arse he’d been admiring earlier.

_Very nice_ , Harry thought, ignoring the inner voice that was screaming _You’re kissing Draco Malfoy!_ at him. So what if he was? He was rather enjoying that actually. Especially when Draco pushed a knee between Harry’s legs and he felt a hardness pressing against his hip. Harry moaned and pushed his own erection up to rub against Draco’s.

Draco threw his head back and gasped at the sensation. Harry didn’t know whether to be annoyed at having that spectacular kiss interrupted, or pleased because he got a better look at Draco’s dishevelled locks, his slightly pink flushed cheeks and his obviously quite thoroughly kissed lips. Harry felt rather proud when he took stock of the Draco’s appearance. _I did that_ , he thought smugly.

Suddenly, Draco’s eyes narrowed and then focussed on Harry.

‘Wait. What did you say? Something about a plant?’ Draco asked.

‘A plant?’ Harry asked, feeling very confused. Why were they suddenly talking about plants? When what they _could_ be doing was, you know, kiss some more? ‘You mean what I said about a potted plant being an option for the symbol for the element earth? I know you didn’t like the idea when I first suggested it, but we’re not having much luck here anyway, and I just thought… Oompf’

Draco smacked a big kiss on Harry’s lips before pulling back and beaming at him.

‘Harry, you’re a genius! Let’s go!’

Harry’s head spun as he was quickly hauled to his feet and dragged along by his arm, down the stairs and back to the Garden Room. Draco threw open the patio doors and tugged Harry toward a large plant with deep purple flowers. Some of them were in full bloom, but Harry could see plenty of buds that were still waiting to open.

‘Do you know what this is?’ Draco asked excitedly. He didn’t wait for an answer before continuing: ‘Exactly what we’ve been looking for, that’s what it is! It’s the Fiducia Flower. It symbolises trust and stability, something that would work well as the basis for any marriage, don’t you think? It is used in many potions because it strengthens the ingredient’s individual magical properties and binds them together to make a more powerful potion. And also, it’s rather pretty don’t you think? It’s Pansy’s favourite flower and I happen to know George works with them often to improve the effectiveness of his products. We’ll just find a pretty pot to put it in and we’re done!’

Draco’s smile was infectious. That, combined with the lingering feel of Draco’s lips on his, made Harry rather dizzy and ready to agree with pretty much anything.

‘Ok…’ he agreed, again with the breathless voice.

Draco seemed to shake himself before answering: ‘Right. I guess that’s just one more symbol to go. Want to meet up next Saturday to go look for it?’

Harry waited a moment before answering, trying to calm the thumping of his heart. What he wanted to do most was pull Draco closer and kiss the breath out of him. But the longer he waited, the more awkward it became. Finally, he just nodded.

Draco smiled at him and asked: ‘So, it’s a date?’

Harry felt his heart leap at the word “date”, not sure if Draco had used it intentionally. But, true to his Gryffindor nature, Harry decided to risk it and confirmed: ‘Yes. It’s a date’.

Draco’s smile widened even further, and the warm, fluttery feeling that smile caused in Harry’s stomach stayed with him for the rest of the night and for a full day after that.

* * *

**Chapter 6 In Need of Air**

_Fool. Draco Malfoy, you are such a fool_ , Draco scolded himself. He sighed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror above his bathroom basin. How could he have ever thought Harry would be interested in him? How would…

‘Draco! Have you gone and drowned yourself in the loo? Get out here you silly man,’ called Theodore Nott’s voice from behind the bathroom door.

‘Go away,’ Draco complained plaintively.

‘You invited me here,’ Theo reminded him, stifling a laugh.

Draco sighed again.

‘Dinner is over. Now go away,’ Draco argued sulkily. ‘You have your own house, have you not? Go and pester that lovely wife of yours and stop bothering me’.

Silence.

Oops. That might have possibly been a tad rude. Or no, not might have been,  it definitely was. It was after all true that he’d invited Theo over. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Harry, thinking about Harry, had been driving Draco spare and he’d felt he needed someone to talk to about his own, very confusing, feelings. Pansy and George were out for obvious reasons. Draco wasn’t entirely sure this wasn’t some bizarre scheme of theirs, all for a laugh at Draco’s expense obviously. That left either Blaise, who spent most of his free time chasing after anything in a skirt, or Theo. Easy choice. And he _did_ need to talk. He really did.

‘Theo?’ Draco called hesitantly. It had been quiet for quite some time. Had Theo taken his words at face value and left already?

‘Yes?’ came the pleasant reply.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly opened the door and apologised: ‘I’m sorry Theo, that was uncalled for. I didn’t mean it, you know that, right?’

Theo smiled patiently and said: ‘Don’t worry about it Draco. I’ve known you for over half my life now, I know what you can be like. There’s obviously something about this business with Potter that has you rattled, more so than usual I mean… Care to tell me about it?’

After only a moment of hesitation, Draco nodded and followed his friend back to the living area.

‘It’s like this,’ he started, nestling himself on the large white sofa, ‘I don’t know how he feels about me, and it is driving me crazy. One minute I think he likes me, fancies me even, the next I’m sure he couldn’t care less about me’.

Theo furrowed his brow at him quizzically.

‘Ok, now I’m confused. Didn’t you tell me earlier that you and Potter _kissed_? And that you were pretty sure both of you enjoyed that just fine?’ he asked.

‘Well yes,’ Draco admitted, ‘but as far as I know, he’s still involved with that Weasley girl’.

‘The Weasley girl? Are you talking about Ginny Weasley- _Thomas_? As in the _wife_ of Dean Thomas?’ Theo enquired.

‘Oh… Right… I didn’t know that…’ Draco admitted sheepishly. ‘But still though, he _did_ hit his head just moments before we kissed. He might not have been thinking clearly’.

Theo looked at him with incredulity.

‘You think hitting your head would make you kiss someone you didn’t really want to kiss? That a known side effect to a concussion now is it?’ Theo deadpanned.

Draco glared at the man.

‘Fine,’ he said. ‘But what about the fact that when I met him last weekend he never said a word about the kiss? Not one word Theo. That’s plain weird isn’t it? Maybe he suffers from memory loss from his concussion? Or you know what, that explosion was caused by one of the Dark Lord’s hidden traps. Who knows what Dark spells were at work there?’

Theo shook his head wearily and said: ‘A Dark spell from Voldemort that would have the terrible, frightening effect of making you… _kiss_. Yes, that _does_ sound likely. And your argument about him not mentioning the kiss… Did _you_ mention it?’

‘Well no, but…’

‘Exactly,’ Theo stated, crossing his arms and leaning back with a smug expression on his face.

‘That’s different,’ Draco huffed. ‘I’m a Slytherin, _of course_ I’m not going to lay my cards on the table without knowing my feelings are reciprocated at least somewhat. _He_ ’s supposed to be the Gryffindor in this relationship’.

Theo’s eyes widened comically.

‘Relationship?’ he asked. ‘There’s a _relationship_ now? Well well, isn’t _that_ interesting…’

Draco felt himself flush.

‘No! Or I mean, I don’t know…’ Draco finished off lamely.

Theo looked at him with a shrewd expression.

‘But you’d like there to be?’ he asked.

Draco took a deep breath and let his shoulders slump.

‘I don’t know. Yes. Maybe?’ he admitted quietly.

Theo nodded his head thoughtfully and then said: ‘Alright. Alright. I can work with that… You’re meeting Potter again tomorrow, yes?’

Draco groaned.

‘You know I am. We still haven’t managed to find a symbol for the element air, even after turning pretty much all of Diagon Alley and every other little antique shop I know in the London area upside down,’ Draco pouted. ‘That’s another problem I’m worrying myself over. Pansy’s wedding is _this weekend_ for fuck’s sake. Tomorrow is our last chance and I have no idea where to look next’.

Theo drummed his fingers on the table thoughtfully. After a moment of silence, he said: ‘I think I might have a suggestion. Have you checked out the shops in Hogsmeade? There are a couple of good ones my Mum likes to browse through on occasion. Some in Hogsmeade itself, some just a quick apparition away’.

Draco smiled.

‘No, I hadn’t really considered Hogsmeade, not having visited it much since our Hogwarts years. That might work actually. Do you think you could ask your Mother to give us a list of suggestions for shops in that area?’ Draco asked.

‘She’s quite protective of her treasured shop list,’ Theo said. At Draco’s look of disappointment, he quickly added: ‘But you know how she feels about you. For you, I’m sure she’ll be willing to make an exception’.

‘Thanks Theo, that would be great,’ Draco answered, smiling gratefully.

‘Right,’ his fellow former Slytherin said with determination. ‘If you’ll lend me your owl, I’ll send Mum a quick note right this minute. And when that’s taken care off, we’ll figure out a plan to make Potter like putty in your hands’.

* * *

 

‘Harry, hello,’ Draco said, smiling warmly.

Harry felt something flutter in his stomach as he gave a goofy grin and muttered a quick response. He’d never seen Draco smile as much as he had recently, and every time the blond smiled at him, Harry felt his insides melt a little. _Pathetic Hufflepuff_ , Harry berated himself silently.

These last two weeks had been excruciatingly confusing to Harry. After their impromptu kiss, he’d been all excited, looking forward to seeing Draco again at the weekend. But then the weekend had come and gone, and had left Harry none the wiser.

Draco had been nothing but nice to him, smiling that lovely soft smile of his, not losing his patience no matter how little success their hunt for the last symbol had had so far. At times, he’d even thought Draco might have been flirting with him. Nothing obvious, just a look here, a casual touch there, standing a little closer than strictly necessary at times… But not a word about the kiss, nor was there even an inkling of a possibility for a much desired, on Harry’s part at least, repeat. If Draco had indeed been flirting with him, it was in much too subtle a way for Harry to grasp.

Of course Harry could have raised the topic of the kiss himself. Or he could have just said bugger it all, and smacked another kiss on those perfect, smirking, kissable lips. But the shameful truth of it was, he’d not had the courage. He’d thought about it, thought about little else if truth been known, but he’d been too scared to actually _do_ it. Poor Godric Gryffindor would probably turn in his grave if he’d known about the cowardice of one of the most prominent members of his House. Harry shook his head, eliciting a puzzled look from Draco who’d just been reciting the list of shops they were going to visit today. Right. Time to focus on Pansy and George’s wedding now.

‘So which one first?’ he asked.

Draco motioned toward the end of the street, to a small shop at the corner, right next to the Post Office. It looked a bit run down, the kind of place a pureblood like Mrs Nott wouldn’t be caught dead in. But seeing as it was on her list, it must be better than appeared on the outside, right?

Half an hour later, Harry was ready to eat his words. Stepping out of the shop into to the clear, sunny day, he was beating the dust out of his robes and coughing profusely. Draco on the other hand came out looking as pristine as he had when walking into the shop. Harry had no idea how he did it. It was like he’d cast an impervious charm on his person or something. Come to think of it, he probably had at that…

‘Well that was a monumental waste of time,’ Harry muttered darkly.

‘Really Harry? You mean you _didn’t_ find that assortment of magical doilies simply _fascinating_? I know I did,’ Draco said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

‘Not particularly, no,’ Harry gave back, pulling a face.

It was one of those moments. For a second there, Harry thought he saw irritation flash in those expressive grey eyes. But the moment passed, and it was amusement that won out in the end. Draco’s lips quirked up in a smile and before they knew it, they were howling with laughter, reminding each other of the various hideous “treasures” they’d been shown by the over eager shop assistant.

 ‘Gregorovitch’s mother-of-pearl moustache comb,’ Harry hiccupped.

Draco snorted with laughter.

‘That was nothing! How about those “possibly touched by Merlin” knickers!’ he countered.

The merriment lasted as long as the visit to no less than five antique shops or in other words about two hours. By that time, after the tedious, unsuccessful browsing through yet another dump of an antique shop, the fun of it had well and truly worn off. Harry was starting to feel tired and irritable, possibly because all the dust in these places had also left him feeling thirsty as hell. His stomach growled. Oh yeah, and hungry too.

Heaving a heavy sigh at the doorstep of the seventh antique shop of the day, Harry turned to Draco and asked: ‘Are you sure Mrs Nott wasn’t having you on? None of these dumps look anything like the kind of place a pureblood witch would frequent’.

Draco shook his head decisively.

‘No, I really don’t think so,’ he said. ‘Mrs Nott is the type of witch that likes a challenge. She’d enjoy finding the one good piece, hiding underneath the piles of rubbish and copious amounts of dust. You’ve seen those shopkeepers, they ‘ve got their  heads up their arses, the whole lot of them. If you’re lucky, you’d be able to get a priceless artefact for no more than a couple of Knuts. They have no idea what they’re doing’.

Harry eyed him sceptically.

‘No seriously,’ Draco insisted, ‘I’ve actually seen a couple of good pieces today, you know, like that small bronze sculpture in the third shop? But seeing as it wouldn’t work as a symbol for air, I just left it’.

‘You mean the one of the Manticore? Yes, I suppose that one was kind of cool,’ Harry assented.

‘Come on,’ Draco said, pulling Harry inside the shop by his hand, ‘perhaps this is our lucky shop’.

Harry didn’t know about the shop being lucky. Draco seemed engrossed, examining all kinds of weird looking items up close, but Harry was a tad distracted by the fact that Draco had yet to let go of his hand. Harry could have pulled and claimed his hand back that way most probably, but for the moment, he was reluctant to do so. Draco’s hand felt quite good, fitting around Harry’s nicely. The skin was warm and smooth against his and Harry had to suppress a sigh of disappointment when Draco finally let go of his hand to gingerly pick up a very ugly looking sculpture representing some kind of fairy.

‘I don’t like it,’ Harry said instantly. He wasn’t sure what he was referring to, the ugliness of the sculpture or the loss of Draco’s hand on his. Either way, he didn’t like it.

‘No, I suppose I couldn’t do that to Pansy. I’m sorely tempted though…’ Draco said, smirking wickedly.

Harry opened and closed his mouth ineffectively. Merlin, that smirk had no business shaking Harry the way it did. He could feel his blood rush through his body, first up to flush his cheeks in embarrassment and then further south where Harry could feel his cock stir with interest. Draco’s smirk widened into a knowing smile. _Fuck… I’m in for it now_ , Harry thought. Now if only he could decide if that was a bad thing, or a very, _very_ good thing indeed…

Three shops later and Harry was still making his mind up on that one. There had been many more looks, a couple of seemingly innocent touches and a few words that seemed to mean one thing while implying something altogether different. In short, Harry’s head was all over the place. And that state of mind was hardly constructive to finding the one symbol they were still lacking.

They’d been apparating to a couple of villages Harry had never even heard of. The villages themselves held little interest for Harry, but the fact that Draco had decided to side-along apparate them to every single one was quite… interesting. Harry didn’t mind that part of it at all.

After another one of those side-along apparitions, Harry found himself leaning into Draco a bit more than was perhaps necessary. He quickly righted himself, stepping back while coughing self-consciously. It took him a while to find his bearings, but once he had, he jerked with surprise.

‘Hey, we’re back in Hogsmeade!’ he exclaimed.

‘You don’t say,’ Draco said dryly with another one of those knee-buckling smirks. Harry was pretty sure Draco knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on him. _Bastard_.

‘Yes… well…’ Harry tried to recover himself. ‘Erm… What are we doing here though? I thought we’d tried all the shops in Hogsmeade already?’

‘We have,’ Draco confirmed. ‘I don’t know about you, but I can’t possibly face another one of those dingy, overcrowded shops before I get something to eat and drink inside me. I’m parched’.

‘Oh thank Merlin for that,’ Harry sighed. ‘I was about to faint with hunger and thirst’.

They entered The Three Broomsticks and chose a table in the back. Madam Rosmerta, obviously noticing their dire need, brought over pitchers of water and pumpkin juice before taking their order.

‘Bless you Rosy,’ Draco said, gulping down some water and chasing it down with some ice-cold pumpkin juice.

‘You’re welcome Draco dear,’ Madam Rosmerta answered fondly before heading back to the bar.

Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

‘Rosy?’ he asked incredulously.

Draco shrugged and said: ‘I had something to make up for after the war, didn’t I. So I came here right after the trials and apologised. She was very nice about it, I have to say. I’ve not been to The Three Broomsticks very often since, but I’ve seen her down in Diagon Alley a couple of times. We get on quite well now’.

Harry wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Madam Rosmerta might be quite a bit older than he and Draco, but she was still a very attractive, very _flirty_ , woman. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He would have to keep an eye on the two of them.

When the sandwiches arrived, all talk was suspended in favour of wolfing down the food. Even Draco, with his usually impeccable table manners, ate with quick, hungry bites, licking his fingers when he was done. Harry almost moaned at the sight. He would _swear_ Draco was tormenting him on purpose, sucking his fingers into his mouth one by one, all the while looking at Harry intently. _Bastard_ , Harry thought again. He was forced to adjust himself in his seat, parting his legs slightly under cover of the table to give his groin some much needed room. His by now full erection was straining painfully against the inside seam of his trousers, and Harry wasn’t sure how much more he’d be able to take. Harry was sorely tempted to throw caution to the wind and just kiss the bastard _right here, right now_. He shivered as he saw a flicker of pink tongue peeking out as Draco sucked on the last finger before releasing it with a pop.

‘That was excellent,’ Draco stated with a satisfied sigh.

‘Hm hm,’ Harry managed to squeak his reply.

The silver grey eyes twinkled at him with wicked amusement before Draco smoothed his features to a more neutral expression.

‘Thank you for putting up with me these last couple of weeks,’ Draco said earnestly. ‘I know we’ve, well, not always got on shall we say? I’m glad we’ve managed to put all that behind us for the sake of our friends’.

He grasped Harry’s hand and squeezed it, as if emphasising his words. Harry smiled and squeezed back and said: ‘I think we’re doing alright’.

Draco just looked at him for long moments. Harry hadn’t realised he was holding his breath until the moment his lungs seemed to almost explode with the need of oxygen. He took a deep gulp of air and tried to steady himself.

‘You know,’ Draco started conversationally, ‘you have very nice hands’.

‘Er… thank you?’ Harry said, because he didn’t know what else to say.

Draco then went on to go over the few shops on the list they hadn’t explored yet. Harry lost track of the conversation very rapidly though, as Draco seemed to thoughtlessly flip Harry’s hand in his, while the fingers of his other hand busied themselves with tracing circles in the palm of Harry’s now upturned hand. Was Draco not aware of what he was doing? Harry somehow found that hard to believe. Draco was still very much a Slytherin at heart after all.

When Draco’s fingers started to stray up to gently caress Harry’s wrist in those same, maddening circles, Harry gave up all pretence of listening. He let his eyes droop briefly and bit his bottom lip. He was fairly sure Draco was doing this on purpose, was flirting with him quite blatantly. Harry was just contemplating screwing all decorum, diving over the table and smashing his lips on Draco’s in an all devouring kiss, when Draco’s words drifted through his foggy brain and caught his attention.

‘How did you get those calluses anyway? Do you still ride your Firebolt on weekends or something?’

As much as Harry wanted to ignore the question and continue with his amorous planning, something had caught his attention.

‘Firebolt… Broom… A broom flies…’ he mumbled, trying to snap himself out of his daze. He knew this was important somehow, so he shook his head to clear his foggy brain.

‘Brooms fly? Why yes Harry, I do believe that’s true. Excellent observational skills,’ Draco said, smirking one of those devilish smirks of his. Merlin how Harry wanted to kiss that smirk right off those beautiful, perfect lips. But first things first.

‘No, I mean brooms fly… _in the air_. Like those three broomsticks over there perched on the wall?’ Harry clarified, pointing at the three broomsticks that had given the Inn their name.

Harry watched as realisation dawned in those beautiful silver eyes. He looked at Draco’s lips, noticing that the genuine smile forming on them shook him up just as much as all those smirks had. Fuck it, he wanted to kiss those lips _right now_. He was reaching over the small table and grabbing a fistful of Draco’s shirt before fully realising what he was doing. Draco’s eyes widened and his mouth opened in a surprised gasp. _Perfect_ , Harry thought, quickly covering the Draco’s mouth with his.

Perfect was just about right, Harry decided. He moaned as he felt Draco’s tongue eagerly meet his and moaned again as slender, nimble fingers crept up to rake through his hair. He shivered as blunt nails scraped over his scalp gently, Merlin but that felt good. Blindly trying to pull the Draco closer, he tugged at the shirt he was still clasping in his fist, only to be brutally interrupted by loud crashing sounds.

They pulled back in shock and Harry immediately mourned the loss of those deliciously warm and soft lips on his. He blinked dazedly and it took him a while to make sense of the carnage of shattered glass, dishes and scattered cutlery around them. It seemed that in his haste to pretty much pull Draco into his lap, he’d sort of forgot about the table with the remnants of their lunch between them. Oh yeah...

Draco coughed. Merlin he looked fetching like that, all flustered and with his usually perfectly groomed hair in a bit of a mess. _Very nice_ , Harry thought appreciatively.

Draco looked up at Madam Rosmerta who had approached their table, undoubtedly alarmed by all the noise.

‘Sorry Rosy. We erm… sort of forgot ourselves there. I’ll pay for the damages of course,’ he said, smiling apologetically.

Madam Rosmerta chuckled and replied: ‘Don’t worry love. I quite enjoyed the show’.

She vanished the mess with a quick wave of her wand, gave them both a big wink and went back behind the bar.

They laughed and Harry grabbed hold of Draco’s hand again. Draco’s laughter died quickly, being replaced by a pleased smile. Then his face turned thoughtful as he said: ‘You know what, that could work, a broom I mean as a symbol for the element air. But how are brooms, or _these_ brooms, significant for George and Pansy though?’ Draco wondered aloud.

Now it was Harry’s turn to smirk.

‘You mean the broomsticks perched on the very wall of the very Inn where George and Pansy had their first ever official date? The broomsticks on the wall of the Inn in fact, where George got down on one knee and asked Pansy to marry him? I’d say they were plenty significant for the two of them, wouldn’t you?’

‘I had no idea,’ Draco gasped. ‘Excellent news Harry, I think we’ve just completed our quest!’

Harry looked a bit worried and said: ‘That’s _if_ Madam Rosmerta will let us borrow one at least’.

Draco beamed at him, clasped Harry’s hand with both his own and squeezed it.

‘I wouldn’t worry about that Harry, it’s as good as taken care of,’ he said, before turning his head toward the bar and calling out: ‘Oh Rosy darling! Mind doing me a teeny tiny bit of a favour sweetheart?’

 

* * *

**Chapter 7 The Wedding**

‘Wow… You look stunning Pans, you really do,’ Draco told his beaming best friend. ‘I swear, if I was straight, I’d marry you myself’.

Pansy laughed and said: ‘I used to think we would some day you know. Thank Merlin not all dreams come true, eh? I wouldn’t trade in my George for anything. I’m sure you’ll find someone soon Draco, some lucky bloke that will make you as happy as George makes me. You deserve to be happy’.

Draco smirked knowingly.

‘I’m fairly sure about that too Pans…’

Pansy’s eyes widened, as always eager for the latest gossip on Draco’s love life.

‘Oooh, really? Is there something you want to tell me?’ she asked.

Draco shook his head in denial.

‘Not just yet I don’t think,’ he said carefully. After all, this thing between Harry and him was hardly a done deal yet. Although it certainly looked promising…

Pansy was about to protest, but luckily Draco was spared an interrogation by the witch performing the part of the Bonder for the upcoming ceremony. Mrs Barbary was an elderly witch who had been a close family friend to Pansy’s parents. Not being able to have her parents here on this important day, having Mrs Barbary there was the next best thing.

‘Pansy darling, you are an absolute vision!’ Mrs Barbary exclaimed. Her eyes went suspiciously misty as she continued: ‘Your mother would have been so proud of you sweetheart. You look so much like her…’

‘Thank you Mrs B. I’m so happy you agreed to do this for me and George. It wouldn’t have been the same without you,’ Pansy said warmly.

She blinked back her tears and smiled determinedly. Draco felt his heart swell with pride when he looked at his beautiful, strong friend. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it quickly.

‘I have to finish setting things up, check that everything is in place for the ceremony,’ Draco said.

He gave her a big hug, careful not to crease the pristine, ivory silk dress. He wouldn’t see her again before the start of the ceremony so he gave her a quick kiss on top of the hug before exciting the dressing area.

‘Don’t think I’ve forgotten our little conversation Draco!’ she called after him. ‘I’ll be wanting details, very very soon!’

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. He’d set himself up for that one.

But not right now. Right now, he needed to find Harry and finish putting the symbols for earth, water, fire and air into the proper position for the ceremony. _That’s_ why he was so eager to find the dark-haired wizard. Clearly. Nothing at all to do with wanting to make sure Harry hadn’t changed his mind after they parted last night. Who knew how that fickle brain of his worked. For all Draco knew, he’d…

He was shocked out of his rambling thoughts by a hand that seemed to come out of nowhere, yanking him forcefully into a darkened room. Draco’s heart started to beat fast as he blinked repeatedly, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness.

‘What the…’

That was all he managed to bring out before he caught a glimpse of messy hair, bespectacled eyes and a face that closed in on him quickly. Harry…

Harry kissed him slowly and thoroughly, his tongue lazily circling Draco’s, his hands resting presumptuously on Draco’s arse. Draco returned the kiss with fervour, pressing himself snugly against Harry’s body and letting his arms slip around the other man’s neck. Draco’s fingers played with the soft, slightly too long hair at the back of Harry’s neck, eliciting a delicious moan from him. Draco had already discovered that Harry had an incredibly sensitive scalp, and he was planning on taking full advantage of that knowledge.

Draco whined in disappointment as Harry reluctantly pulled back from the kiss.

‘Sorry about that,’ Harry said, ‘ but I just couldn’t go on a moment longer without a kiss from you today’.

Draco tried not to show how pleased he was at the comment, hoping that the darkness in the room would be enough to hide his blush. Seeing Harry’s smug grin, Draco severely doubted his success. He pushed at Harry’s shoulder playfully.

‘One would think all the kissing we did yesterday would have been quite enough to sustain you for today at least,’ Draco responded petulantly. ‘And anyway, weren’t _you_ the one that suggested that we go slowly?’

Draco threw in an impressive glare at that last statement, leaving no room for doubt how _he_ felt about that suggestion.

Harry blinked at him innocently and said: ‘I remember saying no such thing’.

Draco narrowed his eyes to further emphasise his glare.

‘Excuse me, but you most certainly _did_ say that. You exact words were _Draco, perhaps we should take this slowly? Be sure of what we’ve got here before we… take it further?_ ’ Draco recited from memory.

‘Well yes I _did_ say that, but…’ Harry began.

‘Aha!’ Draco interrupted triumphantly.

‘ _But_ ,’ Harry continued, giving his own very good version of a glare, ‘I was only suggesting that because I thought that maybe that was what you wanted. I didn’t want to push you. I was hoping you’d argue with me. _Which_ _you didn’t_ , by the way’.

‘Oh…’ was all Draco could reply to that.

‘Yes, oh indeed,’ Harry agreed haughtily.

Draco snorted, recognising the imitation for what it was. Harry just didn’t _do_ haughty. That was much more Draco’s style. Caught out, Harry grinned widely.

‘This has been very interesting,’ Draco mused. ‘Care to continue this er… _conversation_ after the ceremony?’

‘I’d say that’s an excellent idea,’ Harry agreed easily. ‘Meet here later?’

‘Hmm…’ Draco agreed. He looked around the still dark room inquisitively and added: ‘Where exactly _is_ here anyway?’

Harry opened the door, smiled back over his shoulder and said: ‘The cloakroom of course, where else? Come on, let’s get this over with so we can focus on more important stuff’.

Draco shook his head in exasperation.

‘The cloakroom of course. _Obviously_ ,’ he muttered, following Harry to the ceremonial room.

* * *

 

The room looked spectacular. The sight of the white walls, enormous windows, the light coloured wood, the plush red carpeting and the crystal chandeliers made for a spectacular backdrop for this particular ceremony. The room was filled to the brim with guests. All the seats were taken, leaving only standing places for the guests arriving late. Like Ron for example.

Harry snickered as he watched Hermione give her husband a death glare from across the room, clearly stating that they would have _words_ about that later. Knowing Hermione, there would be plenty of words to be had. Harry smiled consolingly in Ron’s direction and gave him a quick wave. Ron mouthed a quick _sorry_ at him and quickly went to find a place next to his wife. Harry privately thought that Ron’s perpetual forgetfulness and tardiness where the real reason George had picked Harry as his Confidant, bypassing his younger brother.

Harry looked at the large archway in the back of the room. George and Pansy should be coming through it any time now. They’d pass beneath the archway together, equal in every way, as expressed in every essence of the ceremony. Despite his earlier dubiousness on the whole “pureblood ceremony crap”, he had actually started to warm up to the idea. He could see himself going through a ceremony like this for himself one day, sealing a bond between him and the man he loved.

In fact, he could see it now. Not that hard really, since many of the guests here would surely attend _his_ wedding as well. Harry decided to ignore the fact that the man standing beside him as his groom in this dream wedding, looked an awful lot like the man standing beside him now. _Way too soon to entertain those kinds of thoughts_ , Harry berated himself silently.

He stole a quick glance at the blond in question, his breath stuttering as he saw intense silver eyes stare right back at him. For a moment, he could see an entire world of possibilities in them. It felt like all Harry had to do was reach out a hand and grab hold.

_Later_ , he silently promised Draco.

Draco smiled at him and right on cue, the music started playing. All the guests turned to look at the archway, and excited mumble rippling through the room as the bride and groom entered.

They looked amazing. Harry was grinning so widely he was worried his face might split. Both George and Pansy were almost glowing with happiness as they walked past their guests until they reached the Bonder at the front of the room.

Mrs Barbary smiled warmly and welcomed everyone with kind words. She made a small speech, acknowledging the families of both George and Pansy, both the ones that were there, and those that couldn’t be. And then it was time for the ceremony to start.

‘I am here as the official Bonder on this memorable day in magical history. Will the Bond Partners please step forward and state their names,’ she pronounced the scripted words.

Pansy stepped forward, looking beautiful, happy and full of confidence.

‘My name is Pansy Parkinson, daughter of Carlotta Lufkin-Parkinson and Jeremy Parkinson. I step forward today to form the Aequalis Bond with my chosen Bond Partner George Weasley’.

George smiled at his soon-to-be-wife proudly and stepped up next to her.

‘My name is George Weasley, son of Molly Prewett-Weasley and Arthur Weasley. I step forward today to form the Aequalis Bond with my chosen Bond Partner Pansy Parkinson,’ George stated. Then he grinned and added: ‘About time too!’

Laughter erupted through the room, lightening the mood as only he could. Even Mrs Barbary stepped out of her official role for a moment, laughing along with everyone else. But she quickly regained herself and continued with the official part.

‘Pansy Parkinson and George Weasley. You have spoken your intent to join the Aequalis Bond. Please bring forth your offerings to each other’.

Both Pansy and George summoned their respective symbols for femininity and masculinity and faced each other. Pansy’s gift was a beautiful statuette of a woman with spread arms, as if embracing life while George’s gift was the robust sculpture made out of dark marble Harry had helped him pick out. Harry marvelled at the two pieces now standing together, such a contrast yet exactly as the bride and groom they represented, they seemed to fit together perfectly.

Harry didn’t listen to the official words, his attention caught by Draco who was about to begin their part of the ceremony. After being called by the Bonder, Draco placed the Poseidon Vase in front of Pansy and George and said in a clear, carrying voice: ‘As Confidant of the bride, I bring the element of water. May it bring you love, hope and new life’.

Harry moved to stand opposite of Draco and placed the Lantern of Eternal Light behind the couple.

‘As Confidant of the groom, I bring the element of fire. May it bring you warmth, passion and a guiding light’.

Harry could feel a soft hum of power, connecting the symbols of water and fire. The guests much have felt it too, seeing as they all seemed to hold their collective breath.

Meanwhile, Draco had moved to the left of the couple and placed all three of the broomsticks beside them.

‘As Confidant of the bride, I bring the element of air. May it bring you joy, strength and give you direction’.

The hum of power increased, making the skin on Harry’s arms and back break out in goose bumps. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, more like a thrill of anticipation. He moved himself to the right of the couple and set down the last element, the Fiducia Flower and said: ‘As Confidant of the groom, I bring the element of earth. May it bring you trust, confidence and settle your roots’.

With all four of the elements now in place, the hum of power became more akin to a buzz. The Bonder quickly stepped in to complete the ceremony.

‘As the Bonder of this couple, I bring these symbols of their unity,’ she said, while holding out two plain silver wedding bands. ‘May they unite you, protect you and connect you with one another from now on’.

At those last words, all the symbols in the room connected to form a strong power field that thrummed around the couple for a moment and then calmed down when the Bonder pronounced: ‘George and Pansy Parkinson-Weasley, you are now joined as husband and wife, partners under the Aequalis Bond. Congratulations!’

A big cheer erupted from the gathered guests as George and Pansy shared a lingering kiss, their first as a married couple. Harry cheered along with everyone else, secretly eyeing Draco and conveying to him that as far as Harry was concerned, they’d soon be doing much the same thing. He was already plotting when would be the earliest time he could sneak off and meet Draco in the cloakroom. Draco smirked at him, clearly reading Harry’s intent.

‘Alright, alright!’ George called, finally coming up for air. ‘And now that that’s out of the way, who’s up for a little party?’

At his words, a bright, colourful and _loud_ display of Weasley’s Wildfire Whiz-bangs burst loose, eliciting rapturous applause and loud cheers from the younger guests.

‘You heard the man!’ Harry called out. ‘Bring out the drinks, bring out the food, and let’s start enjoying ourselves!’

Before long, the party was in full throttle, with a beaming George and Pansy in their midst. The band was playing a mixture of Wizard songs and popular Muggle songs, people were dancing, laughing, drinking, eating and generally having a good time. Half the party had moved outside on the lawn, the weather being dry and sunny, if a bit chilly. Harry had been waiting for his chance to sneak out to the cloakroom, but he kept being waylaid by his friends, all of whom decided that now was a good time to catch up with their friend Harry.

He looked over Lee Jordan’s shoulder to catch Draco’s eye and shrugged a helpless apology. Draco laughed and made a gesture that took Harry a while to interpret. But then he realised it was supposed to be a glass raised in toast. Oh yeah, they were still supposed to do that, weren’t they… Deciding that now was as good a time as any, he made his way over to the podium and asked the singer of the band if he could have the stage for a moment, gesturing for Draco to join him.

‘Excuse me everyone!’ Harry called out, using a sonorous charm to make himself heard over the loud party noises. Several guests started shushing each other, which led to over two hundred pairs of eyes focussed on Harry. He felt a strange comfort in the fact that Draco was there, standing right next to him, something he could definitely start to get used to.

‘Alright, thank you everyone, and we apologise for interrupting your partying. We’ll keep it short, we promise, and let you get right back to it,’ Harry promised.

‘When deciding on what we were going to say tonight, we had a lot of discussion between us,’ Draco took over. ‘I mean, so many embarrassing stories to tell, so little time! How to decide which were the juiciest ones?’

‘For example,’ Harry said, ‘should we tell the story about George and the devious Hag from Colchester, or would that take things too far? It’s hard to decide really…’

‘Tell it!’ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Ron’s came from the crowd, ‘Go on, we could do with a good laugh at George’s expense!’

The crowd laughed and shouted encouragement, egging Harry on.

‘Or how about the time that Pansy found herself in the company of no less than three Cornish Pixies? I’ll say there was some firewhiskey involved, but perhaps it’s safest to leave it at that,’ Draco said demurely.

‘You’d better Draco darling!’ Pansy mock threatened from in front of the stage. ‘I’d say you’ve said quite enough already’.

‘Yeah,’ George agreed. ‘After all, we have some embarrassing stories of our own we could share you know…’

Harry pulled a sad face and said: ‘Alas dear friends, this is what we feared. After all, we might just have to invite them to _our_ wedding some day…’

_“One of our weddings” is what I was supposed to say! Not “our” wedding, “One of our weddings”…_ Harry silently scolded himself. The crowd didn’t seem to notice his slip up, and Harry was very determinately not looking at Draco to see if he had.

‘So in our own best interest, we’ll keep it simple,’ Draco went on. ‘Let us all raise our glasses and toast the happy couple!’

House elves had popped into the room, carrying trays full of champagne glasses and handing them out quickly.

‘To the happy couple!’ Harry repeated, raising his glass to George and Pansy before taking a sip.

‘To the happy couple!’ was echoed throughout the room.

Harry repressed a shiver as he suddenly noticed Draco was standing very close to him. When he started whispering in Harry’s ear, his lips were so close that Harry could both hear and feel the words being spoken.

‘I’d say that was the end of our official duties for the night, wouldn’t you? Care to join me in the cloakroom? I believe I was promised some not-taking-it-slowly earlier?’

Minutes later, they were back in the cloakroom, Harry with his back to the door and Draco pressed snugly against his front. Draco had thrown a quick locking and silencing charm on the door, before attacking Harry with his mouth. Currently, he was licking, kissing and biting his way down Harry’s neck while trying to pry open Harry’s tie and shirt so he could continue his torturous path along Harry’s shoulder.

‘What if people want to get their coats?’ Harry panted.

‘The party is just getting started Harry, no one is going to leave just yet,’ Draco muttered.

He pulled back from Harry’s neck to focus his full attention and both his hands on loosening Harry’s tie. His jacket was already gone, Harry noticed bemusedly. He decided to use Draco’s temporary distraction to his advantage and quickly switched their positions, shoving Draco up against the door and claiming his mouth in one fell swoop, thereby handily muffling the his protests.

The protests quickly morphed into a wanton moan as Harry slipped a knee in between Draco’s legs and pushed himself flush against the blond. Harry fumbled around in his pocket, trying to find his wand and then held it up triumphantly.

‘Now _this_ is how it’s done,’ Harry announced importantly.

With a quick swishing movement and a silent spell, Draco suddenly found himself still fully dressed except for his jacket and with tie, belt and all buttons undone.

‘Hey!’ Draco protested indignantly. ‘That’s cheating you know!’

‘I know,’ Harry agreed, smiling smugly. ‘But seeing as we’re taking it not-slowly…’

With those last words, he let his eyes travel up and down Draco’s body meaningfully. Draco grabbed Harry by his tie and pulled him back in for a smouldering kiss. Harry groaned as their erections rubbed together, relishing in the delicious friction while wishing there wasn’t still so much clothing between them. _Soon_ , he promised himself.

Harry abandoned Draco’s lips to form a trail of kisses along Draco’s jawline, his neck, his shoulder blade and then further down. He lingered at the pale pink nipples, taking the time to tease them with his tongue and worry them gently between his teeth.

‘Harry…’ Draco breathed, a sound that went straight to Harry’s cock.

Draco let his head fall back against the door as Harry continued his path south, following the trail of almost invisible pale blond hair. Harry sank to his knees as he reached Draco’s belly button, circling his tongue around it several times in lazy motions.

Draco was making the most wonderful sounds, a mixture of heavy pants, soft cries and heavy moans that encouraged Harry no end.

‘I… I thought we were… taking it… not-slowly,’ Draco panted.

Harry chuckled against Draco’s skin, making a shiver travel through his body.

‘Impatient are we?’ Harry teased.

Without warning, he plunged his hand into Draco’s pants and pulled out his cock in one quick motion. Draco gasped and fisted his hands in Harry’s hair, steadying himself as his knees almost buckled. Harry looked up from his position and the sight was enough to take his breath away.

Draco looked completely undone. His normally pale skin was flushed pink, his lips looking soft and bruised. The skin exposed made Harry long for the moment he could see Draco fully naked, touch, explore, worship every inch of that beautiful lithe but toned body. Unfortunately, a cloakroom at a wedding might not be the best place for that. Suddenly, he had to make sure that he was going to get another chance at that. He looked up in those bright grey eyes and said: ‘You know this isn’t just about tonight, right?’

Draco looked down on him haughtily and replied: ‘I should hope not. I have many needs that require attending to you know’.

Harry narrowed his eyes at him and said: ‘I’d better be the only one seeing to your needs Draco Malfoy. I don’t share’.

Draco’s smile took Harry’s breath away.

‘That’s a very good thing,’ Draco informed him. ‘Because I’m seriously considering taking you home and keeping you. Are you alright with that?’

‘I think I am,’ Harry answered, his heart pounding so loudly it was almost deafening.

Slowly, without breaking eye contact, Harry leaned in and took the tip of Draco’s cock in his mouth. He sucked gently and then harsher, moaning in delight as Draco’s fingers tightened in his hair. When Harry started lowering his mouth, taking in as much of Draco as he could, the blond’s hips started jerking forward as if of their own accord. Harry placed an arm against Draco’s stomach to keep him in place while he used his free hand to pump up and down Draco’s shaft.

‘Harry… Please, oh yes… Fuck that feels good,’ Draco rambled on. ‘Don’t stop, just… don’t stop… oh Salazar… Yes… Harry…’

Harry alternately sucked harshly, then darted his tongue around Draco’s cock in teasing flicks and lapped at it with long, languid strokes. Feeling confident Draco would keep his hips under control, he slipped a hand in his own pants and started wanking himself furiously. He was close, so fucking close…

Judging by the incoherent words falling from Draco’s mouth, he was close too. Draco was sagging back further and further against the door, barely able to keep himself upright as Harry tortured him with his tongue.

Harry stepped up the pace, mouthing the thick vein running from the base to the tip of Draco’s cock before taking his cock in just as far as he could and then sucking harshly. He looked up and saw the exact moment Draco lost all control.

Draco exploded into his mouth, his whole body seeming to spasm on the wave of his climax. As soon as Harry felt Draco spill himself in his mouth, his own orgasm ripped forcefully through his body.

Draco panted heavily, his cock still twitching as Harry slowly licked it clean. Draco looked down at him in wonder.

‘Oh I’m definitely keeping you now,’ Draco promised.

Harry finally released Draco from his mouth and got to his feet, smiling widely.

‘I’ll hold you to that,’ Harry answered, pulling Draco into him for an intense kiss.

The kiss was just heating up nicely, Draco’s hands sliding down to cup Harry’s arse while Harry’s hands were busy exploring Draco’s still exposed chest, when the door suddenly opened and Draco was forcefully shoved into Harry, making them both tumble to the ground.

‘Hey!’ Draco complained, though Harry didn’t know what he was complaining about. Once again, he’d managed to land right on top of Harry, Harry thereby helping him break his fall.

‘Sweet Merlin, what the fuck is going on here!’ George’s shocked voice came from the door opening.

Draco groaned pitifully and buried his face in Harry’s neck.

‘Er… hi George. Pansy,’ Harry said lamely.

‘What are you two doing? Are you _fighting_?’ George asked.

Pansy looked at her husband in exasperation.

‘No George. They are _definitely not_ fighting,’ she deadpanned.

‘Oh… Oh!’ George said, realisation finally dawning. ‘For fuck’s sake, couldn’t you at least throw in a locking charm when you do that?’

‘We did,’ Draco gave back haughtily. He scrambled up and then helped Harry get to his feet as well. They hastily adjusted their clothing as best they could before facing the newlyweds.

‘You always were pants at locking charms,’ Pansy snickered.

‘This was _not_ what I had in mind when I told Pansy making you two be our Confidants would be very entertaining,’ George pouted.

‘Oh, so sorry to have ruined your fun there George,’ Draco huffed, rolling his eyes.

Harry laughed sheepishly and offered: ‘How about we let you be in the room when we tell Ron that Draco and I are now together?’

George perked up considerably at that suggestion.

‘Me too! Oh, I want to be there too please!’ pleaded Pansy, looking very eager indeed.

‘Or better yet, can you two get back to whatever it was you were doing and I’ll send my little brother over here to find out for himself?’ George suggested hopefully.

‘No!!’ Draco and Harry cried out simultaneously.

‘Anyway, we can’t stay,’ Harry announced. ‘We’ve got other plans for tonight. You guys enjoy the rest of your party, Draco and I are off now’.

‘Ah yes,’ Draco agreed gleefully. ‘I believe I have a favour to return, don’t I? Your place or mine?’

‘Draco’s place is closer,’ Pansy offered helpfully.

‘Thanks Pansy!’ Harry said, offering Draco his arm for a side-along apparition. ‘Shall we?’

‘Yes please,’ Draco agreed.

As they apparated out, they could just hear George’s muttered words: ‘Don’t encourage them Pans. I really don’t think they need it’.

And he was perfectly right.

 


End file.
